Socks for Japan News

7/7/11: We’re on hiatus until Phase II this autumn. To see if there’s a way you can help, read our post-deadline FAQ. To receive notice of schedule changes and updates as we hear back from survivors and others involved, please join our list.

6/25/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 8,700 pairs in Watari-cho, Miyagi.

6/22/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 7,412 pairs in Higashi Matsushima, Miyagi.

6/19/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 2,954 pairs in Rikuzentakata, Iwate.

6/15/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 6,536 pairs in Ishinomaki and Higashi Matsushima, Miyagi.

6/11/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 5,001 pairs in Tagajo, Miyagi.

6/08/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 8,500 pairs in Ishinomaki, Miyagi.

6/04/11: The Socks for Japan team distributing its 100,000th pair of socks!

6/01/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 6,100 pairs in Watari and Yamamoto, Miyagi.

5/29/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 6,000 pairs in Minamisanriku, Miyagi.

5/25/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 6,346 pairs in Ishinomaki and Onagawa, Miyagi.

5/21/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 4,505 pairs in Higashi Matsushima and Ishinomaki, Miyagi.

5/18/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 6,293 pairs in Ishinomaki, Miyagi.

5/14/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 3,672 pairs in Osaki, Miyagi.

5/11/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 4,400 pairs in Ishinomaki and Oshika, Miyagi.

5/08/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 3,773 pairs in Higashi Matsushima, Miyagi. An area leader, Mikiko Monma, took photos of us, quickly made the following poster of our efforts at one of the day’s shelters, printed it, laminated it, and gave it to us before we left! We love people like her!

5/04/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 5,422 pairs in Ofunato, Iwate. See the trip report.

4/30/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 3,931 pairs in Minamisanriku, Miyagi. See the trip report.

4/29/11: We’ve announced our ramp-down schedule. The last day to ship socks is Monday, May 16. Join our list to stay informed of schedule changes and restarting the campaign, if necessary, and to receive updates as we hear back from survivors and others involved.

4/27/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 3,900 pairs in Higashi Matsushima and Ishinomaki, Miyagi. See the trip report.

4/24/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 5,476 pairs in Ishinomaki, Miyagi. See the trip report.

4/22/11: We no longer need socks for children or babies. The vast majority of survivors in shelters and on streets are adults, with most children and babies having been whisked away to relatives’ homes or elsewhere. Our stock of little socks will help the remaining children. Please send adult sizes only. If you’ve already collected children’s sizes, however, we’ll take ’em!

4/20/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 2,474 pairs in Natori and Iwanuma, Miyagi. See the trip report.

4/17/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 4,898 pairs in Kesennuma, Miyagi. See the trip report.

4/13/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 5,100 pairs in Kesennuma, Miyagi and Rikuzentakata, Iwate. See the trip report.

4/12/11: We’re happy to have distributed 10,448 pairs of socks to Ishinomaki and Onagawa. See our report.

4/10/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 10,448 pairs in Ishinomaki and Onagawa, Miyagi.

4/5/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 2,200 pairs in Shichigahama, Miyagi.

4/2/11: The Socks for Japan team distributed 4,108 pairs in Yamamoto, Miyagi. See the trip report.

3/31/11： The Socks for Japan team distributed 4,000 pairs in Watari, Miyagi. See the trip report.

3/30/11: We’re distributing in Miyagi Prefecture on Thursday and Friday. For details, see the announcement.

3/28/11: A Japanese press-seal bag manufacturer called Yamasho is donating 10,000 bags for packaging socks that arrive improperly prepared. Its head office is in Tokyo but its factory is right here in Sano! We didn’t know that. It’s a small world when you start asking around. Thanks to everybody who tried arranging a donation of bags from other companies. We’re set for a while.

3/27/11： The Socks for Japan team distributed 1,114 pairs in Iwaki, Fukushima. See the trip report

3/26/11: Our volunteers processed 2,900 socks today and we’ll go north to Iwaki in the morning! Wish us luck.

3/25/11: Gearing up for another trip north, following Monday’s distribution in North Ibaraki City — see the trip report. We distributed to shelters nearby our base in Sano this week, but found the urgency to be much lower than in the heart of the damage zone. Thus, back north we’ll go. More soon.

3/21/11: Delivering 1,320 pairs to northern Ibaraki today because the need is urgent, according to prefectural office and city hall. It’s just south of the Fukushima nuclear reactor crisis. We checked radiation. It’s 8 times higher than in Sano, but still at an exposure that in two days would just match the equivalent of one X-ray. Thus, we think it’s safe for a quick in-and-out. Will post results when we return.

3/18/11: At 10 am Friday, the Ibaraki Prefectural Government Department of Health and Welfare called to request that we deliver socks immediately. “We have no socks,” the representative said. Our donors overseas and volunteers in Japan are doing important work. Let’s keep at it!